The Ravens Will Take Flight

If the Baltimore Ravens are going to reach their goal this season of making the Super Bowl in Dallas, they know their passing attack will have to be better than the past. Third-year quarterback Joe Flacco will have to continue to grow under offensive coordinator Cam Cameron’s offense, and the proverbial “next-step” must be taken.

With the additions of Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth, it appears Flacco is ready to take that step.

“Anquan is a guy that can just…You can put the ball anywhere around him, and he’s going to come to it strong and go get it for you,” Flacco said. “[Boldin] knows football. So, when he goes out there and takes the field, he understands what we’re trying to accomplish each play, and he’s really helped out the rest of our guys.”

Head coach John Harbaugh also likes what he sees from Boldin.

“Well, so far in camp he’s brought us a lot of first downs, so we like that,” Harbaugh said. “But, the intangibles…[Boldin]’s a hard worker, he’s a positive guy, he’s really pushing the envelope with our guys so far as teaching them the game along with our coaches. I think that’s been a big help. So, it’s good to have that veteran presence along with Derrick [Mason], so he’s done a great job.”

Asked if Boldin has position flexibility on the field, Harbaugh joked about Boldin’s high school exploits in Florida.

“Oh yeah, he can play anywhere. He can play quarterback-high school, right? So, he can do it all. But yeah, he’ll play all the positions at wide receiver.”

Boldin will join Derrick Mason as the two starters, while Stallworth and fifth-year receiver Mark Clayton will fight for the slot position.

The Ravens have been lining up in more and more three and four receiver sets this camp, and having the new receivers and running back Ray Rice as a receiver out of the backfield only makes the attack more potent. The wide sets will also allow more running room for Ray Rice between the tackles.

The Ravens have also added new tight ends to the mix through the draft. They will still rely on veteran Todd Heap, but his workload will be made easier by the presences of Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. Flacco already likes the smooth, athletic abilities of the tight ends in camp.

“We’ve got some athletic guys out there,” says Flacco. “Todd [Heap], Dennis [Pitta], Ed [Dickson]. They’re all doing a great job. They bring a lot to the table. They’re good athletes that can really catch the ball and run routes. So, they’re going to open up a lot of things for us this year, and it should be exciting to see their progression and them getting better each game.”

The Ravens will undoubtedly look to continue their offensive resurgence this season. With their defense missing key cornerbacks for an extended period of time, their offense will need to put up more points per game.

Does Flacco think he’s ready to take the next step in year three?

“It’s me and Ray [Rice]’s---it’s both of our third years-and we’re just more and more confident. We know each other better, and I’m more confident with everybody in the huddle and just understand all of our players better. So it’s easy to get in the huddle and get out there, and you know which guys are going to have questions on certain plays, and it’s just easy to answer them right away. But I think everybody is just getting more and more used to playing with each other, and it’ll show out on the field.”

2010 Baltimore Ravens Wide Receivers

The 2010 Baltimore Ravens wide receiving corps has to be the most complete receiving corps the team has ever had. With the likes of former Arizona Cardinal Anquan Boldin teaming with Derrick Mason and newcomer Donte Stallworth, these receivers make one forget the days of Travis Taylor and Kevin Johnson quickly. Remember those days? They are well in the past. That can only be a good thing.

The Ravens have been trying to assemble a solid receiving corps for the last few years starting with the drafting of Mark Clayton in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL draft. Clayton has not been a bust, but he hasn’t been the number one receiver the Ravens thought they were taking with their first pick either. Instead, Clayton has been a solid third or fourth receiver to go along with other good players like Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap. Clayton will battle Donte Stallworth and Demetrious Williams for time in the slot, while Boldin and Mason will be the starters on the outside as each player has proved they are more than capable of producing at a high level in the NFL.

Boldin was a player coming out of Florida State in 2003 with a reputation for being a bit of a “tweener.” He was injury prone and didn’t run a very fast 40-yard dash. However, as general manager Ozzie Newsome said at Boldin’s introductory news conference in March, "I think I made a mistake in that draft, to worry more about measurables than about the football player. And Anquan is a football player."

Boldin is the physical receiver that can make tough catches over the middle and break tackles that result in a lot of yards after the catch. The Ravens haven’t had a player with Boldin’s combination of size and strength at receiver in a very, very long time.

Mason has been one of the best receivers in franchise history. He continually puts up 1,000 yard receiving seasons and has developed a terrific rapport with quarterback Joe Flacco. Mason is terrific in intermediate routes and has perfected the 10-yard out route. He’s also tough as nails as he played the last half of the 2008 season with a torn labrum. Mason has hinted that 2010 could be his last season.

Battling for the last two spots on the depth chart will be Williams, Clayton, and rookie David Reed. Reed is a 4th round pick in this years draft and is said to be like a little Mason. He has terrific hands and is a solid return man, and he will make the roster because of his abilities on special teams. This means that Clayton and Williams will be fighting for the final spot on the chart. It should make for a terrific camp storyline. If I had to make a prediction, I would be that Williams makes it over Clayton because Clayton makes more money and is in the same mold as Mason. Williams brings a little more playmaking ability to the table.

The 2010 receiving corps should bring a great amount of excitement to Baltimore this season. They haven’t had much depth at receiver in the last 10 years, and this year if somebody gets hurt or isn’t playing well there isn’t as much pressure to produce as there was before. Boldin and Mason by themselves could carry this team for a while. Throw in Stallworth and his 4.3 speed going down the field to open things up and you have an aerial attack not seen since the days of Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Ravens 2010 Running Backs

The 2010 Baltimore Ravens could have the best running backs group in the NFL this season---at least on paper. They return 2,000 all-purpose yards halfback Ray Rice, former pro bowler Willis McGahee, and fullback/short-yardage back LeRon McClain.

Rice is quickly becoming one of the most dangerous offensive players in the league. He ran for 1,339 yards and compiled over 70 receptions out of the backfield. Rice should be able to run for even more yards this season with the additions of wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth. These new wide-outs should command the presence from the defense that will not allow the opposition to just stack the box and stop the run. Rice, 23, should be able to hit the ground running from the opening game against the New York Jets.

McGahee is in his 4th season with the Ravens, and third as the backup after the Ravens drafted Rice in 2008. He went to the pro bowl in his first season with the team, but management and the new coaching staff didn’t care for his work ethic. The rest is history. McGahee, however, has handled his demotion with class and has taken it in stride. He continues to be one of the best backup backs in the league, and he continues to be a touchdown machine. He had 12 touchdowns and averaged 5.0 yards per carry in only 109 carries. With McGahee on board as the backup, the running game will not suffer one bit if something happens to Rice.

McClain has made the pro bowl as the fullback the last two seasons. He is a tremendous short yardage back and has accumulated 12 rushing touchdowns in 2008 and 2009. He has developed into a terrific lead blocker, as well. He figures to keep getting some short yard opportunities, and he has publicly pleaded to get more carries. That probably won’t happen, but McClain is all about winning and will do what it takes.

The running back situation in Baltimore is one that probably 30 teams would like to have. They have two backs capable of over 1,000 yards and a fullback that can knock people’s heads off. Look for big production out of this group.

Next post: Wide Receivers

Flacco Ready To Take The Next Step

Today marks the first day of my look at the Baltimore Ravens roster. Since it’s the most important position on the field, I’m going to look at the quarterbacks. What do the Ravens have at qb? What did they do this offseason at quarterback? Did they need to do anything?

The quarterback of the present and future is Joe Flacco. Flacco has taken this team to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, and a third trip to the playoffs in consecutive seasons would be a remarkable achievement. Flacco has improved each of the past two seasons, and is the first Raven quarterback to throw 20 or more touchdowns since Vinny Testaverde did it in 1996. Flacco also set a Ravens record for quarterback rating at 88.9.

Flacco, a 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft, has been a terrific pickup. He came from the University of Delaware, a Division I-AA school, and has not disappointed. He is much further along in his career than anybody could have imagined to this point, and he only figures to get better. Flacco has one of the strongest arms in the game, is very intelligent, and is much more mobile and athletic than people give him credit for. He will benefit from having newly acquired wideout Anquan Boldin and newly signed receiver Donte Stallworth. These two targets give Flacco a tandem, along with Derrick Mason, that Baltimore hasn’t seen in a very long time.

I look for Flacco to have a big season. I can see him throwing more than 25 touchdown passes with close to or over 4,000 yards passing.

In the unfortunate case that Flacco gets injured this season for any period of time, the Ravens signed former pro bowler Marc Bulger to be the backup. Bulger has been a starter in the NFL since 2002, but injuries and a bad team caught up with him. He’s a very capable insurance policy, and is somebody the team can rely on to play well if called upon. It was a great depth move by Ozzie Newsome and his people to bring Bulger aboard.

Tomorrow I will preview the running backs

Two Weeks until Launch

We are coming up on the MLB All-Star break, which usually means two things: the pennant race is about heat up and training camp is roughly two weeks away.

The Baltimore Ravens will fly into training camp in Westminster, MD, with lofty expectations and visions of grandeur. They have made the playoffs the past two years with head coach John Harbaugh and rocket-armed quarterback Joe Flacco, and now they will look to make the big game in Dallas in their third year. Flacco became the first quarterback in Baltimore since Vinny Testaverde in 1996 to throw more than 20 touchdown passes.

Flacco will be surrounded with the best wide receiving corps---at least on paper---that the Ravens have had in their 15-year history. The additions of Anquan Boldin, Donte Stallworth, and the resigning of Derrick Mason make this squad deep at the position. Add in Mark Clayton, Demetrious Williams, and rookie David Reed, and there is a serious competition for the last two spots in this group. Flacco will have the ability to hit Boldin over the middle, Stallworth deep, and Mason all over the field. Time will tell, but this group is easy to get excited about on paper.

The Ravens will also feature star running back Ray Rice and former pro bowler Willis McGahee in the backfield.

Did I mention the defense? That unit will be rock solid again, and with the rededication of Terrell Suggs, the drafting of Sergio Kindle, and the presence in the middle of Terrence Cody, the Ravens pass rush should make their ball-hawking secondary even better.

Over the coming weeks, I will do a preview of each position on the team heading into the season. It looks to be a very, very deep squad this season.

It’s time to get excited. We are two weeks away from football season.

Wizards 2000's Draft Recap

The 2000’s were a rollercoaster-like decade for the Washington Wizards. They started in January 2000 with the stunning announcement that Michael Jordan would become general manager of the team, and ended with longtime owner Abe Pollin passing away Thanksgiving eve 2009. In between these two massive events, the Wizards saw the team go from mediocre to electrifying to heartbreaking to a doormat resulting in a number one overall pick in 2010. Like they did 10 years before, the Wizards will have a new man in charge with this pick in new majority owner and owner of Monumental Sports and Entertainment Ted Leonsis. The Wizards can only hope this new beginning will signal a steady rise to prominence in the 2010’s.

Here is a recap of the last drafts the Wizards have had since they last had the number one overall pick in 2001. It was Jordan’s first draft with the team, and one where the team and fans believed would begin turning the team around.

2001: Kwame Brown, Glynn Academy, Brunswick, Georgia (1, 1)

Brown was the first high school player selected number one overall in the history of the NBA Draft. He spent four disappointing seasons in the District and only averaged more than eight points per game once in 2003-2004 when he averaged 10.9 PPG. Brown’s tenure ended tumultuously in 2005 after he got into disagreement with then head coach Eddie Jordan. Although he has had a decent NBA career, Brown never lived up to the hype of the number one overall selection, and some believe his selection set the team back a few years. He was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Caron Butler in 2005. Brown has averaged 6.7 PPG in his career.

2002: Jared Jeffries, Indiana University, (1, 11)

Jeffries was coming off of leading the underdog Indiana Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament final when he was selected as a lottery pick by the Wizards. Jeffries was to be the power forward the Wizards could pair with Brown for years to come. He never lived up to the 11th overall selection as he averaged 5.73 PPG over four seasons in Washington. Jeffries left the Wizards after the 2005-2006 season for the New York Knicks, where he continued to underachieve. Jeffries is still in the league with the Houston Rockets. He has averaged 5.3 PPG in his career.

Juan Dixon, University of Maryland, (1, 17)

After leading the Terrapins to their only NCAA Championship, Dixon became the Wizards second first round pick of 2002. Dixon, who holds the career points record at Maryland, was seen by many as a hometown selection for a Wizards team in need of a spark. He spent three seasons in Washington before bolting for Portland. He averaged 7.93 PPG, but had his best years with the Trailblazers. Dixon came back to the Wizards for the 2008-2009 season, but his best days were left back in Portland. Dixon signed with a European team in 2009, but tested positive for steroids in 2010 and has been suspended by FIBA indefinitely. Dixon averaged 8.4 PPG in his NBA career.


2003: Jarvis Hayes, University of Georgia, (1, 10)

Jarvis Hayes came out of Georgia with the reputation as a sweet-shooting perimeter guard. He rarely displayed that range with the Wizards, however, spending four disappointing seasons with the club where he mostly served as a backup. His best season was in 2004-2005 when he averaged 10.2 PPG. Hayes was not tendered a contract after the 2007 season, and went to the Detroit Pistons where he was a valuable member off the bench. He spent the last two seasons with the New Jersey Nets, and has averaged 8.3 PPG for his career.


2004: Devin Harris, University of Wisconsin (1, 5)

Harris was drafted with the intention of dealing him immediately to the Dallas Mavericks for Antawn Jamison. Harris’ statistics increased each year in Dallas before he was traded to the Nets for Jason Kidd in 2008. The Nets are building their team around him, and he has averaged 16.67 PPG. Jamison went on to become one of the Wizards top players of the 2000’s. He became their captain and led them to the playoffs for four straight seasons. He averaged 20.7 PPG as a member of the Wizards before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010 as part of the Wizards rebuilding effort.

2005: Andray Blatche, South Kent Prep, (2, 49)

Blatche was the Wizards only selection in this draft, and has had an up and down career in DC. Picked out of high school, many knew Blatche would be a project, but he has upset many fans with his play and attitude. In 2010, Blatche seemed to get it right when he averaged 14.1 PPG. His scoring average has increased in each of his five seasons in the league, and he is a part of the Wizards rebuilding effort heading into the 2010’s.

2006: Oleksiy Pecherov, Ukraine, (1, 18)

Pecherov spent two seasons in DC, where he averaged 3.6 PPG before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2009. He did not play his first season in DC, and he never seemed to get on track. He only averaged 8.9 minutes per game here, and has averaged only 3.9 PPG in his career. He was one of their biggest disappointments as a first round selection.

2007: Nick Young, University of Southern California, (1, 16)

Young was an elite scorer during his time in college, and he has flashed his offensive talents during his three seasons in the NBA. His defense, however, has left little to be desired for. He has averaged 9.1 PPG in three seasons, but has come off the bench in 30 of his 231 career games. The Wizards will continue to hope he develops into an all-around player, but with the emergence of other guards, it’s put up or shut-up time for Young.


2008: Javale McGee, University of Nevada, (1, 18)

McGee was a very surprising pick to many when he was selected 18th overall by the Wizards in 2008. He’s tall, lanky, and extremely athletic. He still lacks post moves and gets overpowered by other centers in the league, but the Wizards are hoping he can develop into a center-type for them in the future. He has averaged 6.5 PPG in his two seasons in Washington, but he will need to step up in that department next season.


2009: Traded Selection

The Wizards decided to trade the 5th overall selection in this draft to the Minnesota Timberwolves for veterans Randy Foye and Mike Miller. Foye and Miller were looked at as solid contributors to a team that already had Gilbert Arenas, Jamison, and Butler. Things declined soon into the 2009-2010 season for the Wizards, however, and there’s no guarantee either player will be around next season. The Wizards passed on drafting the rights to Stephen Curry in this draft.


2010: John Wall, University of Kentucky, (1,1)

Freshman phenomenon John Wall will bring his dance, swagger, and most importantly his immensely talented game to the Wizards in 2010. He will be the point guard the Wizards can build around, and he can be the marketing dream the Wizards have been waiting for since Arenas’ star faded after his issues last season. Wall is seen by many as one of the top point guard prospects of the last ten years, and he brings a pass first mentality to the position. He is also regarded as one of the top defensive guards coming out of college. This is a no brainer selection, and one that has had DC in a frenzy ever since the Wizards won the lottery in May.


The Wizards will head into the 2010’s with two certainties:


Ted Leonsis is the new owner, and John Wall is whom they’re building their team around. Leonsis emphasizes scouting and development, so the draft will be where his scouts and general manager Ernie Grunfeld will make their living for the foreseeable future. Leonsis has preached patience from the fans, but would like more than anything to see a winning basketball team in the District.


"[We want to] build for a new relevant, and bright future,” Leonsis said at his introductory presser. “[I want to] know what Washington, DC will be like when we win a championship, and that’s my hope and dream and aspiration to bring this city closer together and create those lifelong memories for families.”

Young Guns Shine By The Bay

In what has to be considered the Orioles best overall pitching performance of the season, starter Jake Arrieta (2-0) held the San Francisco Giants to one run on three hits in seven plus innings, and David Hernandez notched his second save in two chances as the Orioles beat the Giants 4-1.

Arrieta, making his 2nd career start, was dominating from the start. He flashed his mid-90’s fastball with ease, and mixed in a terrific slider to go along with it. He simply overpowered the Giants hitters and hit his spots very well. He looks like he belongs in the big league rotation, and with a sub-3.00 ERA, it looks like the Orioles have found a guy who throws hard, commands his stuff, and can go deep into games. That’s a combination the Orioles haven’t had in quite a while.

Hernandez looked impressive, too. Since his move to the bullpen, he has flashed an upper-90’s fastball to go along with a slider that he rarely goes to. The difference between starter and reliever has made a tremendous difference for him. Instead of pacing himself to go six innings, Hernandez just lets the ball go and he goes from a mid-90’s fastball to an upper-90’s heater. The difference in speed is major. If Hernandez continues to command his fastball and pick his spots, he can be a successful closer at this level. Closing is all about command and speed. Hernandez looks to be able to have that for a one or two inning stretch. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Adam Jones also seems to have gotten back on track after his latest hot streak, which culminated with a long home run yesterday. After hitting .223 in the month of April, Jones is now hitting .260 with 8 home runs and 24 RBI’s. He seems much more relaxed at the plate having been moved down in the order, and he has been able to lay off the slider down and away for the most part. Jones still needs to work on plate discipline as he only has eight walks all season, but he should steadily improve on that as he gets more experience.

People forget that this is only his third full season in the major leagues, and he doesn’t turn 25 until August. Jones is continuing to improve in the outfield, too, although I’d like to see him be a little more accurate with his throws. He has the arm; the accuracy needs to come next. He can still go get ‘em with the best of them.

The Orioles are still the worst team in the league, but they certainly have shown fire under new manager Juan Samuel and nobody has given up. There is a difference between showing no life and simply not being too good. The Orioles steal more, hit and run more, and run absolutely everything out of the box hard. Think the manager doesn’t make a difference? It does. The players are clearly responding to what Samuel preaches, and that’s a no-nonsense attitude. Play the game hard and force the issue. You can’t sit back and wait for a home run that will not come. Big power lineups can do that---not the Orioles.

There is still much work to be done, but the Orioles are on the right track with their young players. They just need to be given time to develop and some veterans around them. You can’t put the weight of the world on 21-26 year olds in the major leagues. It just doesn’t work like that, and guys begin to crack. Hopefully the Orioles will get some veteran help for 2011 or they could be in serious trouble again.